posted by Chad Paine • 7:42pm • August 11th, 2008
When I first arrived at the Journey, I felt pretty out of touch with God. I wasn’t spending time in His Word and I thought God would never speak to me. I also was listening to rock music and watching a lot of worldly movies as well as struggling with impure thoughts. I was walking with the world and not like a Christian. I tried reading the Bible more but the cares of the world were always choking it out.
I had to surrender the desire for the approval of the world as well as the pleasures of sin. I have to chose the narrow way. God doesn’t want me to look like the world. I decided to give up movies and music of the world and all competing affections that came between between me and God.
I heard from God on this Journey. God revealed to me that I needed to be spending significantly more time in His Word. How can I witness to other people if I don’t even have my own salvation nailed down and confirmed with scripture? God can’t speak to me unless I am listening.
Overall, I had a great Journey and God blessed our time. Thank you!
~ Ryan
June 2008 Guys’ Journey
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posted by Chad Paine • 7:22pm • July 24th, 2008
Before the Journey, I was an average American Christian. I had prayed and even had some good fruit, but I wasn’t growing. I wanted to do great things spiritually, but I did not know how.
I tried having consistent quiet times with the Lord, although I never really made God my first priority. I also tried starting a Bible study, which helped a little. Then I learned that in order to “love God with all my heart” I must remove all competing affections.
Throughout the week, God would reveal competing affections to me. As He brought each one to my mind I would confess them and give them to God. After I confessed all of my competing affections and hidden sins to my father and repented, I began to experience a new life in my walk with God. As I continue to grow, I find a new interest in reading His word, a desire to let nothing come between God and a dedication to live out God’s best rather than my best.
~ Steven
June 2008 Guys’ Journey
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posted by Sharon Kelly • 1:25pm • July 19th, 2008
As a child, I felt a lot of rejection from my family. Though they showed me lots of affection, they were very busy with many other things. I sought for that affection in other ways, lost my trust in my Dad, and became very independent and rebellious. I told myself that I was tough enough to make my way in the world and refused to ever cry or talk about my problems. Pain built up because I had no way to let it out in a controlled fashion. I became bitter, felt rejection easily, and reacted to my sister and my parents.
I came on the Journey and promised myself I would not change. When I arrived I looked for people like me, but God gave me a team with strong godly girls who pulled me up. One night we watched the Father’s Love Letter. I was trying not to cry when my friend encouraged me to be open with God. I prayed with her and then felt the Lord prompting me to go talk to my sister, who is younger then I. We were able to resolve deep-rooted conflicts and I was free to surrender to the Lord the biggest thing that was competing with my love for Him. I now have a new freedom and sense of fearlessness!
~ Hannah
June 2008 Girls Journey
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posted by Chad Paine • 9:12am • July 11th, 2008
It is so vital to stay in the Word daily and to meditate on Scripture…not just read, but meditate. I’ve been talking to my dad a lot and he’s been keeping me accountable. It is amazing how much freedom one gains when they surrender areas of their life that they do not want anyone to know about. Those secret sins are what keep people in bondage. Even those who are Christians who do not surrender to authority will remain in bondage to sin.
I’ve grown up in ATI and have heard the message spoken about how important it is to surrender to your authorities on several occasions, but refused to let the Lord use it in my life. I thought I could make it through on my own without my parents. I always told myself, “It’s just me and God…just trust in Him.” Satan wanted me to believe I was all alone and that I should not trust the authority of my parents because it would make me look like a horrible sinner, which is exactly what I am anyway. Satan had me believing that I could break the habits on my own. I truly thought I could separate myself from my sin without assistance, yet the whole time I was falling deeper and deeper into more sin.
But I forgot the rest of the puzzle that God commands of us, so no matter what I did or said the sin weighed even more heavily on my soul. The last piece is complete surrender to Godly authority. In Romans 6 Paul said, “What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” I understood this with my mind, but not in my heart, and therefore could not apply it to my life. But now, in freedom from sin because I am under the authority of my parents, I have the freedom to live in the grace that God provided.
~ Drew
June 2008 Guys Journey
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posted by Sharon Kelly • 3:33pm • July 10th, 2008
I came on the Journey not really knowing if I had anything major that God could take care of. I couldn’t recall any sins that I’d kept secret from my parents, so I thought these ten days were going to be a lot of little changes and give me a hunger for God’s Word. The first few days of the Journey, I found myself having a love for God’s Word like I’d never had before. The day of delighting in the Lord came and I felt like something was missing that God was convicting me of, but I still could not see entirely.
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~ Camara
June 2008 Girls’ Journey
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posted by Chad Paine • 6:30am • July 8th, 2008
I really lacked the security of my salvation, a closeness to God and a joy before I came on the Journey to the Heart. I desired God, but was not seeking Him as I should.
I tried to read my Bible, pray and do some scripture memory…but I wasn’t seeking the Lord with all of my heart. There were still parts of me that were not surrendered to Him.
While on this Journey, God brought me to the point of complete and total surrender to Him. Everything is His and to be used for His glory; my heart, soul, will, future friends and music were all His. I must pray for His strength everyday to stay close to Him, hide His Word in my heart and stand alone in righteousness. I am willing to give anything up for Him.
When I came to this point, my spirit leaped inside of me and I was filled with joy and excitement! I reaffirmed my salvation and I am going to read the Word and engraft scripture into my mind and heart from now on.
Praise God for his work in my life through the Journey and I pray that I will continue to grow in Him as I seek Him with all my heart!
~ Max, Age 16
June 2008 Guys’ Journey
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When I first arrived at the Journey, I felt pretty out of touch with God. I wasn’t spending time in His Word and I thought God would never speak to me. I also was listening to rock music and watching a lot of worldly movies as well as struggling with impure thoughts. I was walking with the world and not like a Christian. I tried reading the Bible more but the cares of the world were always choking it out.
